Sacrifice
by Ryu Kitsune Bard84
Summary: The Doctor is curious about a religious icon and Peri tries to explain. An introspective look on the nature of sacrifice. And a little lighthearted ribbing at religious figures and events.


"But why a cross?" The sudden question caused Peri who was reading quite comfortable in the console room to look up. She blinked as she looked away from her book, _Origins of a Species, _to stare at the Doctor, who was now pacing around the console room with a perplexed look upon his face. His boyish features were marred with frown lines as he paced muttering to himself rubbing his head causing his blonde hair to go all over the place. In fact it looked rather comical actually but why the random outburst?

"Doctor," She tentatively called wondering what precisely was confusing him, "what is it?"

"Ah!" The Doctor perked looking in her direction as he'd forgotten that she was there. Of course given this was the Doctor that could well be the case. "Peri, you were religious at one point were you not?"

"I was a Baptist," Peri shrugged uncertain where this was going. She leaned forward in the armchair the Doctor had brought in so she could read in relative comfort while he did repairs to the TARDIS. "At least I was a while ago but not anymore."

"Then perhaps you can explain something to me," the Doctor said as he lean on the console.

"Okay, shot."

"Why does Christianity choose to have the cross as a symbol for their religion?"

"What?" Peri stared at him. Of all the questions he'd to ask…

"What do you mean?" She questioned leaning back. "What brought this on?"

"I was merely contemplating religious iconography."

"Really, you?"

"Yes," he looked affronted. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Well…" she trailed off for a brief second before she gathered her thoughts on how to precede on this particular topic. "I just thought you didn't do religion."

"Didn't do religion?" The Doctor's eyebrows shot up.

"You know what I mean," Peri replied holding up her hand defensively. "You tend to be flippant about religious sites and more often than not try to prove said religion wrong."

"Not always," the Doctor protested. "I've visited Buddhist temples before without critiquing them as well as several other of your religious sites and several more on other planets."

"Uh huh," Peri raised her eyebrow skeptically. "Name one specifically than, I dare you."

"The Vatican," the Doctor smiled his blue eyes twinkling. "I've been to St. Peter's several times."

"To stop an invasion no doubt," Peri teased.

"No," the Doctor replied seriously, "I wanted to talk to Karol privately on a theological matter. "

"Karol? Wait who are you talking about?"

"Ah yes, of course," the Doctor said suddenly looked sheepish, "You'd know him better as Pope John Paul II...He later becomes canonized actually..."

"Wait you've talked to the Pope? And a saint?"

"Yes," he nodded, "several in fact."

"And how has the Catholic Church not declared a crusade upon you? Or what's that thing they do to people again?"

"Do you mean excommunicate?"

"Yeah, that."

"Well for one thing they couldn't find me even if they wanted to," the Doctor cheekily replied with a smile. "Secondly they have better things to do with their time and also it's hard the excommunicate someone if they aren't a part of your religious community to begin with. Although I may have made Pius X a bit cross when I scanned the Eucharist in the monstrance."

"What?"

"There was a threat!" The Doctor fretted looking rather flustered even as he explained. "I was looking for a parasite that was going to use a cardinal for its own nefarious purposes and I last traced into his chapel! I mean electromagnetic disturbance that the creature was emitting was already making the sonic go off and on all the time anyway!"

"And now you've lost me," Peri held up her hands halting his story. She never really understood that portion of Catholicism due to her Baptist upbringing. Although someone had tried to explain to her the theology of the matter a while ago but she'd forgotten it or rather it failed to explain really anything… "Okay so you're familiar with Catholicism and Anglicanism to be sure."

"Well of course," the Doctor smiled broadly puffing out his chest and looking purposely posh which made Peri giggle slightly, "you can't be in England at all without being familiar with that and I've met a few of the Archbishops of Canterbury. I've been with Buddhists monks, Hindus gurus, Sikhs priests, Muslims theologians…" He counted.

"Okay, I get it," Peri stopped in middle of his recitation. "You've been around religious places for a while."

"Wait," Peri said giving the Doctor a look, "then why the question?"

"I was just contemplating…"

"Religious iconography," Peri finished. "So let me get this straight you've been around all of these Christian leaders and so on and never asked."

"Well," the Doctor sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck in a very human gesture. "I never got around to asking and I'll have you know..."

It was sometimes hard to remember that for all his human features how distinctly alien he was. Peri mused as she waited for the Doctor's words peter out. Sure he looked like a dashing blonde haired blue eyed man wearing that weird English sport outfit with sneakers but it was times like this that he reminded her of just how alien he was. It was not the question of Christianity icons mind you but just how he casually mentioned meeting all of these extraordinary men many of which long since dead without batting an eye. And through of that he'd never bothered to learn the theology.

"It's about the Crucifixion of Jesus, Doctor."

"I know that," the Doctor interrupted giving her an impatient look. "But then why keep it as a symbol?"

"Because…" Peri paused before the answer presented itself to her in a moment of brilliance. "It's about sacrifice."

"Christianity is about sacrifice," Peri continued, "it's about God loving humanity and heck the whole universe so much that God allowed for people to crucify him. I mean no matter what aspect of Christianity you're from it's the greatest thing God did for us so the idea is that we remember it through that."

"Sacrifice," the Doctor muttered. "So that's what it's about? Not just wearing an agonizing form of death?"

Peri wasn't sure how to reply to that and just settled for staring at the Doctor instead. The Doctor on the other had a thoughtful look upon his face. But as suddenly it appeared it soon disappeared and he raced behind the console slamming up several levels and pushing some buttons. Peri stood up from her chair worriedly heading over beside the Doctor.

"We're not going to the Crucifixion are we?"

"What? No!" The Doctor stared at her appalled. "Unless you..."

"No," Peri said cutting off what she assumed was an invitation. "Not getting involved in that piece of history thank you very much."

"Fair enough," the Doctor smiled. "After all bad enough I caused the Nativity prophecy to occur..."

"Wait what?"

"Ah," the Doctor looked sheepish at her outburst. "I may have taken the last room in the inn..."

"Are telling me," Peri began with an incredulous look upon her face. "That God was born in a stable because you didn't bother to use the TARDIS as a hotel room?"

"Well...on the plus side I helped with that prophecy."

"Do I really want to know how many religious events you were a part of?" Peri asked.

"Perhaps not," the Doctor admitted. "You'll probably want to throw insert religious text at me."

"Insert religious text?"

"I'm being tolerant!"

"Ah huh," Peri smirked.

"I am! Honestly Peri I am!"

"Sure," Peri's grin grow at this point. He was so easy to fluster...

"How about the beach?"

"Huh," she blinked at the sudden subject change.

"Let's go to the beach," the Doctor clarified. "I know this great one close by..."

* * *

><p>The Doctor sat in the console room and contemplated what had been said before his subsequent regeneration. <em>Sacrifice,<em> he mused. Was that all it was? Giving up oneself for another. Was the reason was for the cross was the Christian understanding of the world? That all of it hinged upon a God that loved his creation so much that he was willing lay down his life for them and continually forgive them despite all of the complete bollocks they would do or say in later years? That was certainly something to contemplate indeed. Although... He was still confused slightly. Perhaps he would never truly comprehend human religions but still they were an interesting study. Perhaps once he built up trust between Peri and himself once more he could talk more about it. But for now he had a better understanding of the meaning of sacrifice now that he'd done it himself. Now if he just rebuild his relationship with Peri...Yes that would be his focus for now. His regeneration and adventure afterward had scared her and he was determined to fix that. He was a healer after all...


End file.
